Pakistani head coach of White Balls, Mike Hesson, rejected news on Thursday, suggesting that Star Batter Babar Azam had advised to take the goals to get back his place in the National T20i team. Local media widely reported that Hesson had submitted a proposal during a recent formal discussion with higher players in Lahore, where Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi were also present.“There was no discussion with Babar, where I suggested to keep the goals,” Hesson explained during the media interaction.
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He further stressed that if Babar was to make a comeback on the T20i side, it would be like an opening man, probably working with Saim Ayub or Fakhar Zaman.Coach Kiwi came under fire from several former Pakistanic crickets, including Rashid Latif, Basit Ali, Mohsin Khan, Moin Khan and Sikander Bakht, after news.“They are very unfair with Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen, but I can assure you that these three will return soon,” Basit Ali said.Mohsin Khan also strongly criticized the idea and called her disrespect for Babar.“Throughout his career, he has never held goals and suggests to keep the goals. This is not a way to treat the former captain and senior,” Mohsin said.Meanwhile, although Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are not part of the group for the upcoming Bangladeshi tour, they were asked to participate in the preparatory camp in Karach next to selected players.When Hesson addressed another topic of the debate, he denied setting a compulsory requirement for a team selection.
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“I also did not tell the players that if they wanted to keep their seats in the team, they had to bat on strikes over 150,” he explained.He acknowledged that the primary challenge of Pakistan in the T20 cricket is its launch and emphasized the need to cope with modern format requirements.“We are working on some things in this direction,” Hesson said.He also revealed that in cooperation with selectors, a plan to create a younger T20 party with a flexible dynamic approach to format is formulated.“We look at players who are ready to float in the tabs and several roles, but that doesn’t mean there will be no space for specialized players.”
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Hesson confirmed that he is actively involved in the selection process. Once selectors provide a fund of 20 players, the team management then decides to play XI or a 15-member group.Looking forward, Hesson said he aims to give the opportunity to developing players before the World Cup 2026 T20, while experienced names remain within.“Hasan Ali will play in West India, while we also want to see how ShahEen Shah Afridi returns in a more effective role,” he added.
